As the world continues to fight with the coronavirus or COVID-19, a report to the UN Security Council states that ISIS is taking advantage of the pandemic to regroup and the group might be set to launch fresh attacks when the lockdowns get relaxed.
According to the propaganda, the virus represents 'the divine punishment of the West', and the group can plot attacks after the restrictions ease. A worldwide recession can help the group to recruit new members, according to security analysts.
After a series of attacks in Iraq and Syria, experts claim that ISIS is "showing confidence in its ability to increasingly operate in a brazen manner in its former core area", as reported by the Mirror. The report also adds that the number of attacks has increased in 2020 compared to that in 2019.
ISIS Planning Fresh Attacks?
According to sources, there are probably around 10,000 ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria. This year US President Donald Trump claimed to have destroyed 100 percent of ISIS. The report states," The impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on terrorism has varied between conflict zones and non-conflict zones and between short- and longer-term threats. Groups are using the outbreak to advance propaganda and fundraising and, in some regions, are seeking to take advantage of perceptions that the attention of security forces is diverted elsewhere."
"At the same time, the pandemic has made cross-border travel more difficult and targets more elusive, and the operational tempo of attacks has slowed discernibly in some regions. Should the pandemic lead to a severe global recession, the international community may be faced with further headwinds in countering terrorism and extremist narratives," the report added.
However, according to the report, with the decrease in public gatherings and the venues remaining closed, there are very few targets left for the terrorists as they are planning fresh attacks after the restrictions get relaxed.
